I don’t think he was lying; he was just fantasizing...I guess. He really thinks he’s an opera singer. He has a nice little voice which has served him well in some short-lived musicals...but fill the hall of The Met???
And in case I misunderstood your post, I really heard him say this.
No, you understood it completely. It was meant to indicate that he must have been ... how to say it ... inflating his abilities, just a little bit ...